Communication technologies continue to provide more capabilities, increase in capacity, and expand throughout the world. An international communication network known as the Internet is increasing in both numbers of users and capacity at nearly an exponential rate. The Internet is accessible by the general public in a large number of places around the world. Users of the Internet have a universe of network-accessible information.
Along with the Internet, there is growth of other private, government, and commercial networks reserved for authorized users. For instance, some commercial networks are reserved for authorized users such as employees, suppliers, or customers of a company. These other networks may share communication links used by the Internet or they may not.
Regardless of whether the network is the Internet or other networks, users are able to obtain network-accessible information by using web page display systems also known as network browsers. These web page display systems download web pages containing desired information from the Internet and various private networks. A web page is displayed through the use of the web page display systems on display screens of user terminals which include terminals, workstation monitors, television sets, and other display devices.
A web page provides many different formats of information including text, graphics, video, sound, and any other format of electronic data. One or more web pages are stored at web sites having web page servers that are connected to the network and allow access to the web pages by users of the particular network. The type of information at each particular web site varies from news, cultural, sports, commerce, governmental, corporate, investment, and other related topics. The private networks usually are more limited in the type of information provided compared to the Internet.
Each web page also may contain numerous hypertext links which link one web page to many other web pages of related information. As network technology has progressed, everything from web page-based e-mail services, groceries, bookstores, and brokers are competing for the attention of web page users. Web page users have voracious appetites for technology, information, and commerce. Skilled experts have been replaced by skilled masses capable of dealing with more web pages and a vast variety of scenarios and applications. The majority of users remain unable to exploit the opportunities and efficiency of the networks due to the simplicity and limitations of their web page browsers. These web page browsers are interfaces which display the web pages on display screens of the user terminals.
Thus, it can be appreciated that there is a significant need for a system and method that would enhance web browser capability and reduce the amount of time that a web page user requires to manage a web page browser.